Your Worst Nightmare
by LittleMissChatterbox247
Summary: Shane can't get used to the fact that his best friend is a bloodsucker. One day, in a fight with him he gets introduced to his new worst nightmare. He cant fight it; he cant win, and it may just tear him away from Claire forever. Rated:T Just to be safe
1. Freak Out

Shane can't get used to the fact that his best friend is a bloodsucker. One day, in a fight with him he gets introduced to his new worst nightmare. He cant fight it; he cant win, and it may just tear him away from Claire forever.

* * *

"Michael!" Eve's voice rang out through the house. "Michael, where are you?!" She torpedoed down the stairs, braking at the bottom step, looking at Shane as he slaughtered virtual zombies. "Have you seen Micheal?"

Shane paused his game with a sigh. "Eve," he started, "It's nighttime. He _is_ allowed to have a life." He said it as though it were obvious, but he himself disliked the fact that Michael, as a vampire, had free reign of the city. Eve scowled at him and went back upstairs to check Michael's room once again, her black hair bouncing. Shane shut off his game, for it had begun to bore him. He was tired. He stood and stretched before following Eve's footsteps upstairs, looking for Claire.

He stopped in front of her closed door and tapped on it with his knuckles. She didn't come. He tried the door; it was unlocked. As always, Claire's room was impeccably neat. Her bed was made; her books were all lined up on her shelf. On the bed, Shane spotted a scrap of paper that seemed out of place. Walking over, he eyed it apprehensively. Maybe it was a letter from Amelie that Claire didn't want him to read. In the end, however, his curiosity overcame him and he picked up the paper. There, in her bubbly font, was a note:

Shane and Eve:

Not Shane and Eve and Michael, he noticed.

Michael and I are out. Be back before morning—hopefully.

Love:

Claire

"Eve!" he couldn't help yelling. "Eve! EVE! Get over here, now!" He was having a hard time breathing. Eve skidded into the doorway, face red.

"What is it, your highness?" she asked with a sneer. Shane threw the letter at her. She read it, her face turning relieved. Then after a quick once-over, scared. "Uh-oh." she whispered.

"Yeah." Shane was fuming. "Your boyfriend—who's a vampire—took _my_ girlfriend out. At night. And he's a vampire. It's night!"

"Thank you, Agent Obvious. I know that. I get it." She paused, breathing deep. "But Michael wouldn't. Would he?"

"I'm sure as hell not taking a chance." Shane ran past her and down the stairs. Eve followed, screaming at him the whole time.

"Shane! Shane, he wouldn't! You know that! C'mon Shane! SHANE!" He had her keys in hand now and was out the front door. She pulled on shoes and ran after him. She jumped in the car just as he revved the engine.

Before he hit the gas, he turned to her. "I swear Eve, if he hurts her, I'm going to stake him, and you're not going to stop me."

She met his glare with level, impassive eyes. "He wouldn't do that. You know that, and I know that. Besides, Claire has Protection. Try breathing. I promise it'll help." He growled and pulled away from the curve.


	2. Bitten

CHAPTER 2

They drove around the entire town looking for Claire and Michael. When they had been driving for an hour, Shane finally pulled over near a house in front of an alley. He rested his head on the steering wheel, feeling like crying. Eve rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Where are they?" his voice was gruff and he abruptly flung back into his seat and punched the middle of the steering wheel. The blaring horn pierced through the night. He opened his door and jumped out. In desperation, he began calling. "Claire!" he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Claire!" No, no, no, no, no. this was not happening. Not to Claire. He noticed Eve standing behind him.

"Shane. You need to be quiet. What if they hear?"

He whirled, ready to scream at her, but she looked so small. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was pleading him with her eyes. She tried to look so strong, but it was too much for her. Shane walked to her and hugged her, smoothing her hair comfortingly. "You're right. I'm sorry. "I just wish--" he was interrupted by a small yelp. Shane jerked away from Eve. "Claire?" he completely forgot Eve's earlier warning in his anxiety. "Claire! Claire, where are you?!" He ran into the nearby alley, just barely aware of Eve's pounding footsteps trailing his.

Then he saw them. Claire and Michael. Michael and Claire. Eve stopped next to him, out of breath. She gasped. Shane was stunned. For just a moment he couldn't move. He really couldn't believe it.

Michael was holding Claire in his lap and her neck was exposed. He was bent over her, and it was all too clear to see what he had been doing. With a wordless scream Shane regained mobility and lunged at him. Michael dropped Claire and stopped Shane with one hand on his chest.

"Stop Shane! It's not was it looks like, man!"

"It never is, is it?" Shane was crying, deep, deep sobs. "I told them you would change, but they wouldn't listen. Now Claire is dead."

"She's not dead, Shane. Listen to me!"

Shane just hung there limply. Michael loosened his hold, and then even he wasn't fast enough to predict what cam next. Shane punched him in the nose, breaking his steel-like bone. He fell to the ground. Shane knelt and he just kept punching him. Over and over. Michael was bleeding and Eve was screaming. Claire was still unconscious. Michael wasn't moving, and was sprawled on his back. Shane grabbed a stake from the band of his pants and poised it above Michael's chest. Eve screamed and screamed. So intent on stabbing Michael, Shane did not notice the figure flying at him through the night sky. Before he knew it, Shane was lying on his back and he felt two pricks in his neck. The last thing he heard was Eve's shrill scream, still extending through the silence.


	3. Vampified

CHAPTER 3

Shane woke up desensitized, unable to feel anything. 'What happened?' he asked himself. He sat up, and before he could even think, he was out his bedroom door. 'That was weird.' He walked downstairs, but he was in the kitchen in a matter of seconds.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked out loud.

"Shane?"

"Claire?" He took a step, and then stopped. Claire. She was...different. She was a vampire. Somehow, Shane made himself stop. He had to be careful. He knew that. She was a bloods-No. He couldn't—wouldn't—finish that thought. She was still _Claire._ He repeated this to himself over and over until her voice, sounding just as normal as ever, confirmed his thoughts.

"Shane, is that you?" This time he was not able to stop himself. He was in front of her in less than a second, and she jumped at his sudden appearance. She sat on the couch small and scared, not at all how a vampire should look. The bags under her eyes showed that she had been up all night, and she looked...vulnerable dressed in a casual pair of baby blue sweats with her hair slightly mussed. For a second, a glimmer of hope passed through his mind. Maybe...No. He had seen it. He was overcome by the urge to touch her; comfort her. This had to be hard. He felt a kind of empathy toward Claire that he had never employed with Michael, and he had realized that it _must_ be hard. He tried imagining waking up as a vampire after hating them for so long, and shuddered in fear and disgust. Very carefully, he sat next to her on the couch and wrapped his arms around he, pulling her head towards his chest because he knew that made her feel safe. She flinched away from him, but he only hugged her tighter.

"Ouch, Shane. You're hurting me!" He pulled away from her then.

"Sorry," he stammered, because he hadn't held her tightly at all. "I—I didn't mean to."

"No,I know. I know you didn't mean to." She looked up at him, searching his face, and she looked terrified, though Shane didn't know why. His question was soon answered though. "Shane," she whispered, "Are you hungry? Do you need to um...eat?"

Shane laughed. Was she worried that he was in a bad mood because he hadn't eaten. "No." He stroked her face with his hand. She stiffened. Then he remembered _her _condition, and he drew his hand away. "Are you? Hungry, I mean."

She forced a laugh. "No," and before he knew it, she crying and clinging to him, soaking his shirt. He hugged her head against his chest.

"Shh. Its okay. Its going to be okay. You're fine."

"Stop worrying about me. Worry about yourself for once." Okay, now he was confused. She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes with the sides of her fingers. " I'm so sorry."

"That's okay. It'll dry," he said. Though as he looked at his shirt, the prospect began to look less and less likely.

"Not about that." he looked at her, but she was looking away.

"What--?" But now Eve was at the stairs standing there in all her Gothic glory.

"Sorry, is this R rated? I can go back to bed." Of course she wouldn't though. Her makeup was already on. Then she blanched under her makeup, and she was so pale she looked like a vampire herself. 'That's just what I need. All three of my roommates as vampires. FUN' Shane thought. But then she really did scare him. Her eyes turned dark and she growled.

"Shane, I really think you need to back off. _Now._"

"No!" Claire yelled as Eve took out a stake. Shane moved in front of Claire, but she shoved him to the side and crawled into his lap, which both surprised and delighted him. Even under her sweats he could feel every curve of her body. "Eve, he's okay. Really."

"Claire," Eve admonished. "Are you sure?" Claire only nodded.

"Of course I'm okay!" Shane cried. "He turned Claire by her shoulders to look at him. Her eyes widened in fear. "You were the one who got attacked! And why are you so scared of me? I saved your life. At least you're not dead!"

"What?!" Claire shoved herself off of Shane's lap. "You're the one who--!"

"Stop! Both of you! Stop right now!" She pocketed her stake and turned her head to look back up the stairs. "Michael! Michael get down here, now! This is all your fault!"

"We don't need any vampires, thank you. We can handle this as humans."

"Too late." Claire growled. Darn! Shane had forgotten. Claire was a vampire.

"Claire, I--"

"Shut up, Shane. She crossed her arms and leaned back into the couch. What the hell was her problem? God, a guy can't even make amends without getting yelled at.

And then Michael was there, bright against the dark mood of the room. Claire, Shane, and Eve were all scowling, and Shane was sending seriously bad vibes to Michael. Not that that would work. But he highly doubted staking Michael would work now. It hadn't last time. So he settled for glowering.

"What's going on?"he asked. Shane was the first to respond.

"You got me. The last thing I remember was attacking you because you bit my girlfriend."He heard two gasps resound in the room. Michael just stared at him. "Eve! You were there! You saw him! Claire, I understand that you were unconscious, but--"

"Shane." She looked at him, and this time her eyes only held pity and tears. "Shane, I'm okay. I'm not hurt. I'm not a vampire."

"But..."

"Shane, she's right." Michael took a step towards them, but Shane grabbed Claire's arm and together they rocketed off the sofa.

"Shane, please listen," she whimpered. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Claire, he attacked you! I saw it! You were..." He couldn't even finish the sentence. He glanced around trying to control his anger, still very aware of his hand on Claire's arm. "Even you know better than to trust him now. Please tell me you know that." She only shook her head, her face contorted with unshed tears. He groaned; it was almost a growl. "Claire--"

"No, Shane. Stop. I'm not a vampire." She stretched up a hand to stroke his cheek, and locked gazes with him. One deep breath, then she spoke. "I'm not a vampire. You are."


	4. The Truth

CHAPTER 4

Shane sat curled up in the furthest corner of hi room, stake in hand. He had locked the door as a precaution because everyone was trying to get in there with him. He could still hardly believe what Claire had told him. Then again, he hadn't waited for an explanation either. If he really was a vampire, he was a danger to Claire and Eve. Michael could take care of himself, and even if he couldn't, it wasn't likely Shane would care. He couldn't be a vampire. But deep down inside, he knew he was. It was almost as if he had another resident in his body that only proved with every passing second that he was no longer human. _The demon. _

Once again, he raised the wooden stake and angled it over his...heart? No, because he no longer had a heart. A demon had eaten his soul. Shane looked up as he heard his lock pop, ready to snarl menacingly at whoever had picked it. But it was only Michael, and, peering around him, Shane couldn't see any sign of Claire or Eve.

"I don't want to talk to you," Shane growled as Michael closed the door. Michael shrugged.

"I thought you might want to know the story."

"I don't want to hear it from you." This time, Michael raised one of his eyebrows. "You want me to go get Eve? Or Claire?" As much as Shane hated to admit it, he was right. He wasn't happy about it though. He growled at Michael again. "Here," Michael pulled something from his back pocket. "Drink this. It'll help. Trust me." He tossed Shane one of the bottles of blood from the fridge. Disgusted, Shane dropped it as soon as he caught it. "Suit yourself. You'll have to get used to it though. Might as well start now." He waited. Shane didn't move. "Okay, then."

"Look, Michael, I'm not happy with you. I don't know why you were out with Claire, and I still don't understand anything. Like why you bit me." Michael started to speak, but Shane cut him off. "I'm sure I'm wrong, okay? So why don't you start explaining? From the beginning. When you left with Claire."

"All right." He took a deep breath, and he started to talk. "Amelie has Claire learning from the Einstein vampire. Something about a disease that's going to wipe us all out." Shane was not happy that Michael was now entitled to say "_us_". Not at all. "He lives in that alley down by the Day house. Where you found Claire and me. We were just leaving his house—he had started talking all crazy; Claire dragged me out of there before I even knew what was going on—and Claire tripped on a rock or something. She screamed, and I was worried about someone finding us, so I tried to get her up, but she was out cold. Then I heard you calling her, so I figured I would just carry her out to you, because I knew you would have brought a car. But you found me first, when I was picking her up. Then you freaked out on me."

"Sorry about that," Shane said, even though he wasn't. Michael was lying. He was outright _lying_ to him.

"I don't exactly know what happened then. You were battering me pretty bad. Then, next thing I know, something shoves you off of me, and when I get up, its gone, and you're bit. I don't know who it was. You'll have to ask Eve."

"You're lying to me. Stop lying." Shane was shaking from anger. "What _happened_?"

"Shane, look man. I'm sorry, I really am, but there's nothing anybody can do."

"You bit me. You got tired of being the only vampire in the house, so you bit me. You turned me into my worst nightmare." Shane's jaw was set and he was looking away from Michael.

"Shane, what more can I do?" Michael's voice was a whisper. "I..."

"Go get Eve." Michael instantly went on the defensive.

"Shane--"

"Calm down, paleface." There was an uncomfortable silence as Shane realized that he had no right, not anymore. "I just want to ask her a question." he whispered. Michael was back in seconds with Eve cradled in his arms. Eve looked defiant, and brave. Michael started to put her down, but Shane stopped him.

"No. Keep her there." He looked straight into Eve's dark rimmed eyes. "Who was it, Eve? Who made me a vampire. Just one name. Tell me." Eve looked stricken. She kept glancing between Shane and Michael, clearly scared of something. After about a minute, Shane lost his patience. "Eve! Who was it?! What's the _name_?"

"Watch it." Michael cautioned.

"Michael, could you put me down please?"

"Eve, I don't think--"

"No Michael, its okay. Go downstairs. Claire needs someone. Don't leave her alone." To Shane, it seemed like she spoke those last words to him. But he had to stay away. He might hurt her. Pain and anger racked his chest, almost making him double over. Why? Claire...

While he was been suffering in silence, Eve managed to talk Michael into leaving the room. It was just the two of them now. Shane locked his muscles so that he wouldn't be tempted to kill her. Michael would not forgive him if that happened. And he was kind of hoping for the benefits that came with vampire solidarity. _Like all the blood bottles in the fridge. _Right. Some benefits.

"Eve?"

"It was Sam. He did it. I think he was trying to protect Michael. He just came in and went out. And he left..._you._"

"Sam? But he's.."

"I know. Claire's pretty upset, too. Actually, check that. That was a pretty massive understatement. She's _way_ upset." Eve looked sadly at Shane. "She feels sorry for you. And scared. For you!" she clarified, worried she might have hurt his feelings. Although she wasn't entirely sure that that was the truth.

When Shane didn't say anything, Eve turned to the door. Right before she turned the knob, he spoke. "Eve, tell her that I'm sorry too. I just don't want her—any of you—to get hurt. Tell her...tell her..." Eve waited, but he never finished his sentence. She under stood. She left the room, closing the door softly behind her, and went downstairs to relay the message.

And Shane sat with his eyes closed, curled up in the corner, and he stayed there to wait until sunset.


	5. Gone

CHAPTER 5

After Shane was able to see the dark night outside of his window, he stood up, straightening the kinks in his muscles. He dropped the stake that his hand had been wrapped around, and clenched and unclenched his fingers. He slowly walked to his door and stepped into the hall. He could hear Eve giggling downstairs, and he walked down. Expecting to see her curled up with Claire on the couch watching a horror movie, he was surprised, no, horrified when he walked in on Eve and Michael. They hadn't heard him—Michael must have been too absorbed. He was kissing Eve viciously. Like, he redefined the term "sucking face". As Shane watched, Michael pulled his mouth from Eve's and trailed kisses down her jaw, along her neck, across her chest, and down, lower and lower…

Shane left the room. A thought struck him. If Michael and Eve could do that, why couldn't he and Claire? Of course, Michael was an older vamp than him, so he had better control, but in time…maybe he and Claire could still be together. Claire. He sighed. After checking all the rest of the downstairs rooms, he jogged upstairs—well, tried to jog. He was at her door in about two seconds.

"Claire?" No answer. "Claire, are you there?" Nothing. "Okay, Claire. I get that you're mad at me for not talking to you. I just didn't want to hurt anyone." No sound, not even the rustle of fabric. In fact, he didn't hear _anything_. "Claire?" His finely tuned ears didn't even hear her heartbeat. He was scared. What if she had…but he didn't finish that thought, because Claire was sensible. That didn't stop him from popping the lock on her door and intruding. There was no one inside. But the window was open. Where did she go? Finally, it clicked. "Sam," he breathed. If anyone in the house knew where he was, it was Claire. She had used that to her advantage. Shane remembered that he had given her a stake a few months before, for protection. She had put it in one of her drawers. He tore through them, throwing out every piece of clothing she owned. He didn't even pause when he came to the bras and underwear. Okay, maybe just a second. That was only because he found lingerie. Jailbait.

It wasn't anywhere. Nowhere. Nada. Claire had left to kill Sam. At night, when there was more than just that one vampire out. They had to go now. Thank God she had Protection. That was all that kept him from flying out the window and tearing down the streets. She has Protection, but if she kills Sam, she can be burned. A fear unlike any Shane had ever felt shot through his body like a bolt of high voltage lightning. He felt like he would break into pieces. He was falling fast, hands skimming on a surface with no footholds. _Not Claire._ "Michael! Eve! Upstairs! Now! Code Red Emergency!" Eve got there first, and when she saw Shane surrounded by Claire's clothes, she scoffed.

"Do you mind? I don't really want to witness your little, er, games." Michael came up behind her, but he didn't look annoyed. He took one look at the scene before him, and then he looked angry.

"Shane, she's too young. It's against the law."

"We aren't playing around here! I'm not even undressed!"

"Yeah, just so you know, that's kind of a crucial detail." Eve grinned, and the white curve of her teeth split her face. Shane and Michael both shot her daggers. Then Michael repositioned his eyes on Shane.

"So if you guys aren't…um…then what _are_ you doing? Where's Claire?"

"She's outside. At night."

"But her Protection—"

"No one's out to get _her_." Shane took a deep breath. "She's out to kill someone _else_." He met his gaze with Eve's. It took her a second, but she got it.

"Oh my God, Claire! Is she brain dead?" Shane shot her a look, but honestly, she was right. Claire knew better. She really knew. But she was doing it anyways. For him. Guilt now. It overwhelmed him. It was amazing how susceptible his body and mind were to emotions as a vampire.

"Whoa, hold on." Michael was obviously confused. "Are we talking a vampire someone?"

"Does it matter?" Shane's throat was closing up, and his question came out small and croaked. "Either way she'll be…"

"In trouble." Eve finished for him. "She'll be n trouble. Which is exactly why we have to leave now. We have to find her." She grabbed Michael's arm and led him downstairs, where she grabbed her keys from the basket on the table. Shane was not far behind them.

They piled into Eve's huge car and they screeched away from the safety of the dim light from the streetlight. It was impossibly dark, so Eve wasn't much help. She could barely drive. Shane and Michael were the only ones who could see far enough into the dark to make out the sidewalk. Their wonderful eyesight didn't help much, however. There was nothing to see. They drove around and around without seeing a single thing. Vamps included. Then a thought struck Shane. _The alley_. That was where Sam had been last. If he tried to think like Claire…yup. That was where he would be. "Eve, go to the alley." Eve looked at him with eyes that told him that she didn't think that that was the right place to go.

"The alley? I don't think that's—"

"Just try it, Eve." Shane kept his eyes wide open, praying that they would find Claire before they reached the dark void behind the Day House. But he saw no sign of her, and in less than five minutes, the car braked in front of the large, unfamiliar Founder House.


	6. Predatory Instinct

Chapter 6

"C'mon. Out. Let's go!" Shane was impatient.

"Shane, calm down. Maybe she hasn't found him yet." Eve closed the door behind her, and it thumped against the metal frame of the car.

"Found who?" Eve and Shane just looked at him, neither one wanting to spill the news. Suddenly, a large sob wreaked the silence of the night. The three of them turned their heads towards the alley. Then there was a scream, too definitive to second-guess the screamer. It was Claire. The three of them raced to the alley together, but Eve was quickly left behind.

Once Shane had entered the alley, he was almost jerked to a stop by what he saw. There was a tall, thick vampire holding Claire up by grabbing her upper arm. She was sobbing and trying to fight free.

"Let her go!" He was beyond furious. The guard only snarled at him, and in response, Claire kicked him. The guard wasn't fazed, but he still yanked Claire up and spat in her face. Shane lurched forward and wrapped his hands around Claire's waist. He was lucky that the guard was taken by surprise, or else Claire may have lost her arm as

he pulled her out of the large vamp's clutches.

"Claire? You're okay. I'm here." She tried to fight away from him. "Claire! It's Shane." She still kept kicking and jerking.

"Let me go, Shane!" She kicked him square in the shin. Flipping her hair out of her face, she screamed at him again. "I said, let me go!" Shane's heart twanged, and he sucked in a breath. Her words hurt him so bad, he felt like the pain was physical. He loosened his hold on her, but then tightened it again as a voice, more regal than he had ever heard, soared over the echoes of Claire's sobs.

For the first time since he had come into the alley, Shane focused on his surroundings instead of Claire. There was a semicircle of vamps—every one he had ever seen, and more—enveloping them. There were so many, and they were so close, he had no idea how he had not seen them before. As he took this in, a tall, pale, cold figure walked down an aisle that the vamps had respectfully made for her. Amelie.

"Shane." She did not raise her voice, but it still sent shivers up and down Shane's spine. "Hold her. Don't let her go. She has a sentence to fulfill." Without meaning to, Shane squeezed Claire tighter.

"Sentence?" There was no shift in her icy expression as she gestured to a body not ten feet from him, lying flat and immobile. Even in the dark night, Shane could detect the shock of flame-red hair on the body that he knew belonged to Sam.

Suddenly, his hold on Claire became less resigned and more feral and restraining.

"She…" A sharp nod was his only answer. As if that nod lit a fuse, Shane exploded from the inside. In less than a fraction of a second, he had Claire's fragile body spread out, prone, in front of him, his fangs slowly extending. Her sobs caught in the back of her throat because of her position, and it one might worry that she was choking. That is, if anyone cared. But no one did. Except for Eve, who was one mere human amidst a large pack of vampires. Even Michael had lost all human emotion, and he was crouched in a position that announced loud and clear that he was 100% on the offensive.

Shane's muscles flexed and clenched Claire harder. Slowly, his mouth dropped lower until he was poised over her neck, mouth opened wide. She whimpered.

"Are you ready, human? Are you ready sweet, sweet Claire? Let's see how sweet you really are." She began to sob again.

"Shane! Stop!" It was Amelie. "She has just felled one of our kind; killing her would be just as bad."

"Wrong," he growled. He had no idea where he found the courage to defy Amelie, but he was not in the mood to deal with this white knight crap. "She did us a disservice." He was looking at Claire's neck intently. "Killing her would benefit us. Huge difference." Under the strength of his taut muscles, Claire began to writhe and gag.

"Let her up, Shane." Again, it was Amelie who spoke. He did not want to, but with great reluctance, he let Claire stand up, though he still gripped her arm. She would not be able to break free.

She whirled on him, her short hair flying. "I don't get it, Shane. You're a vampire! You're a _vampire_! You hate them!" She was pleading with him now. "Shane, please. I thought you would want me to kill him." There was silence around the ring as all the vamps waited for Shane's reaction. And then it came. With viper-like speed, he let go of her arm and swung his own like a baseball bat and smacked her on her cheek. She twisted from the force behind the blow, and when the momentum died, she crumbled at his feet.


	7. Never Forget

Chapter 7

Eve screamed. That was all Shane heard as he stared down at the consequence of his anger. The shrill, eerie sound chilled his bones, and he shivered as he returned to normal. From the second Eve's scream died, Shane's senses slowed. He felt his body being jerked upright, and he smelled fresh blood, but he couldn't tear his eyes from Claire's prone body, lying still. His ears could hear her heart beat, but only faintly.

He watched her, aware of little else, until she was lifted up by a vampire.

Suddenly, everything came into focus and sped up. He tried to scream, but no sound escaped his mouth as he saw Claire's limp body lifted by the vamp. Unable to move, he stared after them as they parted the crowd.

"Shane." He didn't turn his head. "Go home, Shane. Take Michael and Eve. If you still wish to visit her, she will be in Founder's Square for the next two nights. Myrnin is taking her to the Elder's Council building. But after two days, Shane, she must die." Finally, he moved. He stiffened, nodded, and went to Michael and Eve, who was sobbing.

"Shane," she sobbed, and then gulped. "Shane." She gripped the front of his shirt. "You won't let them, right? They're not going to take Claire. Right?" When he didn't answer, she screamed, "Right Shane! They're not going to kill Claire!" Instead of responding, he just hugged her into him, and she sobbed harder as they walked to the car.

"Michael! Let's go!" he heard no movement behind him, so he turned around. Eve's sobs subsided. Michael was standing there, amidst the other vampires, arms crossed over his chest, mouth set. "Michael?" Shane was mortified by how needy his voice sounded.

"No, Shane." His face softened the tiniest little bit. "He was my grandpa. Grandpa Sam. He was there my entire life, and now he's gone, because your girlfriend decided to kill him. This is where I belong."

"Michael?" Eve whispered. She twisted so that she was free of Shane's embrace. Michael turned his face away, refusing to look at her. It was clear that Eve was trying to be strong. She puffed out her chest and wiped her eyes. "Well, I guess that's that then." She turned on her heel and walked out of the alley.

Shane didn't know what to do. He was choosing between his best friend, and the love of his life, and, being a vampire, he was tempted to stand with his best friend. But at the moment, his love for Claire was penetrating the mask that was the monster he had become. He turned around and walked the way Eve had.

"Shane!" He stopped walking, but did not turn around. "Tell her I'm sorry."

Shane forced out a laugh. "Michael, sorry's not gonna change anything. And trust me, even if she did forgive you, she would _never_ forget." Then he kept on walking. Once he was out of the alley, he whispered under his breath, "I know I never will."


	8. Love and Betrayal

Chapter 8

The car ride home was silent. Eve was being stoic, staring out the window on the passenger side, or once letting someone else drive. Shane was drowning in his own thoughts, trying to sort them out. Every time he half-accepted Claire's unavoidable death, the significance of it overwhelmed him again, and he was continuously crying.

When they stopped in front of the Glass House, Shane yanked the keys out of the ignition and slumped over the wheel. It was Eve who broke the imminent silence.

"Well Collins, I guess it's just you and me."

"Yeah." He sniffed. "I guess so."

"Shane? Are you crying?" She leaned forward.

"No."

"Yeah," she said, "Me neither." There was silence again. "Shane, I wish that I could tell you everything's going to be all right, but then I'd have to believe that too." She paused. "I'm just not feeling my normal perky self. " Her lame attempt at a joke didn't amuse either of them. "Come on. Let's go. We'll visit Claire tomorrow. There's nothing else we can do." Together, they got out of the car.

* * * * *

Once they got inside, Shane made garlic-free chili, and Eve made hot chocolate. They ate at the table, mumbling something every now and then, but not really speaking. Then, when Shane was halfway through his fourth bowl of chili and was finishing his third cup of hot chocolate, Eve asked him something that nearly made him bring it all back up again.

"Shane, what happened to you?"

"When?" he asked around his food.

They both swallowed. "With Claire. You were going to kill her yourself. I saw you." She seemed to lose herself in the wall above Shane's head. "Why?"

Shane was sick just remembering it. "I don't know. I just…I _had _to kill her." He felt uncomfortable sharing this with Eve, but he had no one else to turn to. As was expected, Eve's eyes instantly widened. To her credit however, she straightened out her face and resumed staring at the wall.

"What do you mean?" she asked as though they were commenting on the food on a menu. Actually, they kind of were.

"I mean, as much as I love her, I couldn't stop myself. It was like, my duty—yeah, my duty—to kill her."

"Oh."

"Scary, huh?"

"Yup." She went back to eating her chili.

"I know."

They didn't talk for the rest of dinner, and when they both finished, Eve cleaned dishes while Shane went up to his room. He lay on his bed in his undershirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants, thinking. He thought of what he would say to Claire the next day, and how he would survive without her. There was no way to save her. She had actually killed Sam, and knowing vamps, they probably already had enough evidence to convict her. Too bad she wasn't going to jail. More like immediate death sentence.

There was a soft knock on his door. "Come in, Eve."

She opened the door and stepped in. She was wearing a black—of course—tank top that said "I _DARE_ you to bite me", and black pajama pants with white skulls. Her face was clean, with no makeup, which Shane hadn't seen in…well, he couldn't remember the last time, if he ever had—and her hair was away from her face in a pony tail. She looked almost…normal. Except for the bottle of blood in her hands.

When she noticed him eyeing it she said, "I didn't know if you'd, uh, eaten yet." She held it out to him.

Shane's throat was burning. He sat up. Looking in the corner of his room he saw the blood bottle that Michael had brought him earlier. It was still full. He hadn't had anything, and now he was burning from the inside out. "Thanks," he rasped. "I haven't." He took the bottle and opened it. Before he drank it however, he remembered seeing Michael chug down a bottle of blood. He lowered his hand, and looked at Eve. "You might want to look away. Just saying."

"Right." She turned around.

He chugged it down, cracking the plastic bottle, and gagged. It was horrible. Disgusting. He really had to live off this? Ugh!

"Are you done?" Eve asked.

"Yeah. Ugh!"

"What?" she was tentatively sitting on the edge of the bed.

"If you ever wondered if you were missing something by not being a vampire, don't ever think it again." He lay back down.

"That bad, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"Now you know how I feel when you make your chili." She smiled.

"Hey! My chili is the best, and you know it."

"Maybe I just have high standards." She punched his arm.

"You do? Right." Shane drawled sarcastically. They laughed together, but when it died down, their minds once again returned to less pleasant thoughts.

"Shane, I miss Michael." She lay down next to him.

"Trust me, I know how you feel." He turned his head to find her looking at him. They were quiet.

"Do you love her Shane?" she asked suddenly.

He didn't need to ask whom she meant. He thought about it. Did he love her? That was a major step, and he didn't know if he wanted to move that fast. On the other hand, Morganville was a very fast-paced town. "I guess so, yeah. Why?"

"Don't tell her." That was unexpected. As much as Eve put on a tough face, she was a hopeless romantic at heart.

"Why not?"

She looked at the ceiling. "Because." She said simply. He nudged her arm slightly, egging her on. "She loves you Shane. So much."

"So why wouldn't I tell her I love her, so she knows." He could hear obvious cluelessness in his voice.

"Because, if you ever leave, it'll break her heart."

"Is this about Michael?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

She looked back at him. "Not at all." She lied. "This is about Claire. I mean, you're always talking about how much you want to leave. One day, you might decide that you will, whether or not Claire comes, too." Okay, he could see her point. It was a moot one though, because in two days, there would be no Claire to leave behind.

"I'm sorry, Eve." He said sincerely.

To his horror, she began to cry again. "He promised me, Shane. He said always. He promised he'd be here always. I thought that he was the one. I really thought so. But now... He's just one more of my mistakes."

"He said he was sorry. When we left the alley, he said, "Tell her I'm sorry.""

"Too bad that doesn't cut it." She sniffled.

"That's what I told him."

Eve sighed. "I wish Claire Bear was here."

"Me too, Eve. Me too."

Then…


	9. Talking

Chapter 9

Then…

…They heard the front door bang open, and then slam closed. Eve stood up, and Shane lifted his head off of his pillow. Eve went to the door and peeked outside it.

"Michael." She whispered. Down the hall, Shane heard stomps and the slam of Michael's door. Eve stiffened.

"I'm guessing you don't want to talk to him." He said.

In answer, she replied, "I'm going to bed." She left quietly.

"Right." Shane stood up. "Guess I get to do it then." He opened his door and went to Michael's. He hesitated before knocking, wondering if he should just leave him alone. Obviously something…serious had to happen to make Michael change his mind. But before he could make up his mind, he heard something crash against the wall. He almost broke the lock, but he didn't think intruding would be the best approach in this situation.

"Michael?" Another crash. "Uh," he felt _really_ stupid, "You want to, um, talk?" Silence. "'Kay then. See ya later." Just as he walked away, the door flew open. "Or not."

Michael was on his bed. Shane walked in, closed the door, and stood back, wondering what to do. This whole talking thing, it's like, a _girl_ thing. He sure as hell had never done it, and so he was basically clueless.

"Hey," he tried. There was no answer. Really? There was no point if Michael wasn't going to talk. How did people _do _this? He definitely didn't have a career as a psychiatrist. Then again, he didn't want to be one, so no problem there. "Michael? Hello?" He was getting pretty impatient, but he knew he couldn't lose his temper. Michael was having a hard time. Seriously, his grandpa had just died. Shane remembered all the times Claire had talked to _him_, and tried to follow her example, without thinking about _her._

Feeling very uncomfortable, Shane walked to Michael's bed and sat next to him. He was still trying to think of what to say when Michael suddenly hugged him. Out of nowhere! He just flung himself at Shane. Besides being extremely surprised, Shane was…well, surprised. He couldn't remember Michael ever seeming this weak. He had always been the strong, stoic one. When Shane had come back, Michael was there, when Shane was taken by vamps, accused of killing one, Michael was there, even when Shane had been a total jerk to Michael for becoming a vamp to save him, Michael had been there, strong, silent, and loyal as ever. It seemed now that Shane was being given a chance to return the favor.

He hugged Michael back, and he felt the shoulder of his shirt begin to dampen.

They sat like that for over an hour. When, finally, Michael was composed, they awkwardly pulled apart, and stared at the floor. After a while, Shane couldn't stand the silence. "Um," he cleared his throat, "what happened, man?"

"I, uh, I—I couldn't do it." He looked ashamed and relieved at the same.

"Oh." Not exactly the brightest response, but what else was he going to say?

"Yeah. Well, when she woke up, it was scary how composed she was, and of course, she did everything she could from in the cage to make me feel guilty."

"Cage." Shane echoed. It hurt him to think of beautiful, fragile Claire behind bars.

"She was glaring at me and everything. And what with Myrnin—"

"Who?"

"He's one of the older vamps, kinda like a bloodsucking version of Claire, freaky smart and all that. Anyways, he kept hissing at her, and that tore her apart. I guess they're friends or something. By then I was calmer, and, man, the guilt was huge. I couldn't think. I got really mad at the Myrnin guy, and we fought, which only stressed Claire out more. I would have left then, but I wasn't given much chance. They thought that since I deserted you guys, I was like, their property or whatever. I had to help them…uh…prepare." Shane didn't want to know. "Then they all just kinda, left. I was alone with Myrnin and Claire. Then Myrnin was talking to her, and she seemed to calm down a little, so I left them alone. Then when he was done, I went up to her. She didn't even look at me." The look on Michael's face could only be described as pain. " She just said, "Tell Eve and Shane I miss them. And tell them to visit, please." That was it." Shane just sat there, really not knowing what to say. "You should go tell Eve," Michael said. "And drink something. Or eat, whatever."

"Already did." Then he thought of Eve's question at dinner. "Hey, Michael."

"Yeah?"

"What happened to us? In the alley, I mean. Like, I was totally ready to kill Claire, which I would never _really_ do. It happened to you too."

"Predatory instinct." He said simply. "I asked Amelie. Whenever one of our kind gets killed, we automatically become feral, which is the state most vampires horror stories are based on."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. But then, why didn't anyone else react like that?"

"They've all had tons of practice. Remember, most of them are hundreds of years older than us. It's pretty much like 'been there, done that' for them."

"Ok." There was nothing more to say. Shane got up and walked out of the room, going to talk to Eve.


	10. Don't Ever Say

Chapter 10

Why did Shane feel as though he was some kind of carrier pigeon? He certainly wasn't himself tonight. He wished Claire were there; she would know how to handle this. Too bad she started the problem, and therefore was unable to help.

"Eve?" he knocked on her door. Her door was actually unlocked, so he pushed it open, and found that she was already asleep. She was lying in her bed, on top of the covers. It seemed as though she had been waiting for him to come back to her. She just didn't stay awake. Quietly, Shane walked up to her bed so that her could see her face. He almost gasped out loud at what he saw.

Eve was smiling—no, grinning—in her sleep. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and no worry lines creased her face on her forehead, she looked beautiful.

Eve, Shane thought, was the perfect example of the twisted, up side down world they all lived in. When she was awake, she lived a nightmare that only tainted the most imaginative child's dreams; and at night, she lived in a wonderful, carefree world that could be found in just the next town over, but that she would never experience for real.

Shane hesitated before waking her up, and in the end, he left her as she was. He could always tell her everything tomorrow. Or, even better, maybe she would give Michael the chance to tell her, and then they could kiss (literally) and make up. Then, at least, their motley crew could have _some _unity.

Shane slowly backed out of Eve's room, closing the door behind him, and turned around only to smack straight into Michael.

"What'd she say?" he inquired.

"Nothing much. She's asleep." Shane all of a sudden felt very much like wanting to sleep as well. "Look, I didn't want to wake her up, but you can go right ahead. You two have some making up to do anyways." He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, willing them to stay open.

"Make up?" Michael looked confused. "Oh." He finally said. "She's that mad?"

"Uh, yeah, dude. You ditched us. I mean, maybe you couldn't have changed their minds by siding with us, but still, you could have—"

"Okay, okay. I get it. Let me just…"

"Go? To Eve? All right with me. Just remember, that monster likes her beauty sleep. And unlike us, she needs it during the night."

"Right. I got it." Without another word, he swung Eve's door open, stepped inside, and pushed it closed again. Now, Shane was all alone in the hallway, and he was exhausted. As selfish as it sounded, he couldn't care less about Michael and Eve's problem. All he was worried about was his soul mate and his beauty sleep. Since nothing could be done about the first one, he decided to take care of the second. He walked down the hall and went into his room, but instead of lying down, he went to his dresser. Opening his underwear drawer, he dug out a CD that had been hidden in the back for at least a year. (Yes, its cliché, but who in the Glass house is going to go through HIS underwear drawer—besides Claire) It was a Missy Higgins CD. He didn't particularly like that kind of music, but it had been a CD of his mom's. He had started listening to it when one of his girlfriends told him Missy Higgins was her favorite, and found that he actually liked it. It was calming, and he really liked the lyrics. Besides, he felt like he could really use his mom's support right then, and there was no other way to reach her.

From the drawer in his bedside table, he pulled out an ancient CD player, also something that belonged to his mother. He covered his ears with the headset and slid the CD inside. Soon, a sweet voice was bouncing around in his head, and he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

_Don't ever say you've tried to leave me in this life, Don't ever say you've tried for the last time_… he fell asleep thinking of Claire.


	11. A Visit to the Condemned

Shane woke to the incessant beeping of his alarm clock. He blinked several times before he lifted his head off the pillow. It was 9:00 pm, well after dark. He had slept through a whole day. He let his head drop back onto his pillow, somehow still feeling like he hadn't slept in days. He yawned and rolled over, getting ready to sleep again, when he suddenly remembered. Claire was a prisoner of the psycho vamps of Morganville. He bolted up in his bed, and felt the headphones he had been wearing when he had fallen asleep slip off. The CD had long since stopped playing, so he punched the power button on the player, and ran into Eve's room, where he had left Eve and Michael last night. He was only slightly surprised to find Eve was the only one there. Girl knew how to hold a grudge. He shook her awake, and left her, mumbling, to get dressed. Next he went into Michael's room. Before he could open the door, Michael came out, fully dressed and ready to go. He had heard Shane's alarm clock. They nodded at each other and Michael said, "Let's go."

Eve burst out of her room, pulling on her boot. She hadn't bothered with makeup, and so she still retained some of her normalness from the night before. Looking only at Shane, she said, "Not without me, you don't. I drive." Shane grabbed a pair of flip flops and the three of them raced downstairs together. Eve grabbed her keys and they were out the door and in the car in ten seconds flat. Shane, in the passenger seat, realized he had forgotten to change from his undershirt and flannel pants, not that the cold bothered him much, he just felt uncovered. Michael seemed to read his thoughts and took off his own jacket and gave it to him from the backseat. Shane smiled his thanks, and they remained silent for the rest of the ride, which was happening at a blinding speed. Eve was really flooring it. As a result, the car screeched to a halt in front of the Elders' Council Building in record time. They all flew out of the car and into Founder's Circle.

Suddenly, the severity and stupidity of Shane's situation hit him. His girlfriend, whom he loved, was given two days until her execution, one of which he had already wasted. He had no plan, no sprout of a plan, and he was going to have to watch her die because he had wanted to sleep. Worst of all, he had no clue what he was going to say. What did you say to the condemned? In the midst of his fretting thoughts, a voice reminded him, _Claire did it for you. She thought of something to say when you were in a cage, and she saved your life. Now repay her the favor. _Of course, Shane hadn't really committed the crime, whereas Claire had, but he had to try. He loved her. She couldn't die.

Determined, he began to race to the solitary cage in the center of Founder's Circle, but he was stopped by Michael's hand, which had wrapped itself around his upper arm. "What?" he hissed.

Michael nodded towards Claire's cage. Taking a second look, Shane saw what he was looking at. There was already someone standing in front of Claire's cage, and Shane could hear the rumble of his voice from where he stood. If he listened closer, he could probably hear every word. He heard Michael gasp, and his grip on Shane's arm tightened.

"What is it?" Shane asked.

"That's him." Michael breathed. "That's Myrnin." Now Shane did try to listen closer.

"Claire," he heard Myrnin say. "I must leave. I apologize for my behavior yesterday. I wish that this didn't have to be. You were special. Your brains…never have I met a human with such a passion for knowledge that has been able to retain it as quickly. But I can't help. You knew the consequences when you staked young Sam. And nor do I disagree with your young friend, the blonde one. You robbed him of his only family." Shane heard Claire sob. "Crying will not help, child. You must face the consequences of your actions. In this instance, that is death. I will miss your knowledge, but you are nothing but a mere human to me, so don't look to me for sympathy." He took Claire's hand and kissed it suavely before walking away from her cage, and toward the three of them. He smiled as Shane and Michael glared at him. Eve was running toward Claire's cage. She had no grudge against Myrnin. She hadn't heard his departing speech to Claire.

"Claire Bear!" she shrieked. Claire was curled up in a corner of her cage, head on her arms. "Oh my God! Are you okay? Sorry, stupid question." As soon as Myrnin was out of Founder's Circle, Michael and Shane ran up to Claire's cage as well. "Claire Bear," Eve was saying. "What did that creep say?" Why are you so upset? Sorry, another stupid question. I'll shut up now." She stepped back a bit.

Michael took her place. "Claire, don't listen to a thing that guy said." She didn't look up. In fact, she cried even harder. "Claire," Michael pleaded. His eyes betrayed his pain to them. "Please don't be mad at me. I sided with them without thinking. It's just…he was my grandpa, you know? I don't hate you or anything though. If I had known who it was that did this to Shane, I might've done the same thing. Maybe. Just—"

Eve lost it. "Don't you dare ask for her forgiveness you creepy little---"

"Mad at you?" Claire had lifted her head off of her arms and looked at Michael in disbelief. Her face was red, puffy, and soaked, but underneath all that, her expression was incredulous. "Why would I be mad at you?" She sniffed. "I killed your grandpa! Myrnin's right. He was your last family member. And I killed him." She looked broken.

Eve was lost. "Who's Myrnin?" Everyone ignored her.

"I'm sorry, Michael." Claire began to cry again, but silently this time. "I deserve everything I'm about to get."

"No." Shane, who had been silent the whole time, pushed past Michael and Eve. He, too, was crying, but his expression was murderous. "No, you don't." Michael and Eve exchanged a look behind Shane's head and backed up together, giving Shane and Claire much needed alone time.

"Shane?"

"What you did…you did it to save me. And I don't even have a plan on how to get you out of here." Shane choked on a sob.

Claire tentatively reached one of her hands through the bars of her cage and cupped the side of Shane's face. He couldn't stop himself. Tears overflowed and chased each other down his cheeks. He turned his face and kissed her palm. Strangely, Claire was very calm, and she had stopped crying. "Shane, there is no way. Don't beat yourself up about it. I was just trying to help. But…I didn't think. I knew the consequences. I just knew what he had done to you, and I guess I had enough anger for the two of us. It was too much. I'm—"

"Don't you dare tell me that you're sorry." Shane's voice was so dark, it made her remove her hand from his cheek and recoil in her corner of the cage. Suddenly, he looked up, no longer crying, and wrapped his hands around the bars of her cage, breathing hard. "I love you, Claire." She gasped. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here, even if it kills me." He said nothing more, just let go of the bars he had been holding, and stalked past Michael and Eve and out of Founder's Circle. He had thought of a way to get Claire out of her execution, and when she was free, they would go away together. They would get out and never come back. They would leave Morganville in ruins, and all the vampires buried beneath its remains.


	12. Phone Call

Chapter 12

Shane leaned his butt against the car, face upturned, letting the cool night air smooth away the intense heat of his anger. He shoved his hands deep down in his pockets, and screwed his eyes shut. He really wished he had another choice, any other choice. He was faced with the decision to either betray his best friend, or the girl he loved. He sighed, and removed his hands from his pockets, stretching them out. Hopelessness was not a feeling he was unfamiliar with; it came along with anger and despair, which, in Morganville, were two very common feelings. No, this wasn't the first time he felt hopeless, but as he did every day he spent in this morbid town, he wished he would never feel it again. It made him feel too weak, too susceptible, and that disgusted him. So he wasn't going to sit there and let them execute Claire, but that meant placing Michael into immediate danger. Shane felt his head was going to explode. Suddenly, the car beeped. Eve had unlocked the door with her remote. She and Michael were walking towards him slowly, heads together. He turned and opened his door and plonked himself down in his seat. Michael and Eve came in less than a minute later. The ride back was silent, except for Shane's thoughts, moving at 10,000 miles per minute. By the time they reached home, Shane had made up his mind. He had to call Frank Collins. This would be some family reunion.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter's so short. It was basically about Shane coping with his feelings.**

**The next chapter's short, too, just fair warning. **

**:D**

**LittleMissChatterbox247**


	13. Intruder

Chapter 13

Eve pulled up in front of the house, and they all unloaded. Michael waited for Eve to walk to the sidewalk, and when she reached him, he put his arm around her waist. They walked up to the door together. Shane followed; head down, afraid to show his eyes in case they betrayed his evil intentions to his best friends. At the door, Michael pulled Eve to halt. Shane thought that they were unlocking the door, but when he hear Michael whisper, "Wait here." he looked up and saw that the door was already ajar.

Michael walked in and Shane took his place beside Eve. "Did you lock it?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Eve looked confused and scared. "Yeah, I did. I—I made sure."

"It's okay," he reassured her. They stood beside each other for a good two minutes, Eve's breath growing harder and more haggard with each second.

Then Shane heard Michael ask, "How did you get in?" It sounded to Shane as though he were upstairs. The answer didn't follow until a minute later.

"I used the front door." There was no way Shane couldn't recognize that voice.

"Great," he groaned. Eve looked up at him.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"It's Madame Miranda, the psycho teenage psychic."

* * *

**Told you it was short!**

**:D**

**LittleMissChatterbox247**


	14. Plans

Chapter 14

Fifteen minutes later, the four of them were all in the living room. Miranda was sitting on the couch with Eve beside her, holding her hand. Michael was sitting in a chair that he had brought in from the kitchen, and Shane was behind him, leaning against the wall opposite the couch. All of them held mugs of coffee, but Eve's and Miranda's were on the table, and Michael and Shane were holding theirs just because there was nothing else to do. Miranda had just finished telling them all about how she walked to their house and how she'd picked the lock to get in, never once mentioning why. Shane was drumming his fingers against his coffee mug, anxiously waiting for Miranda to say what she had to say and get gone. He had a phone call to make, and he didn't like having to put it off any longer than was necessary.

"Miranda?" Eve ventured. "Why are you here?" Eve always the most understanding when it came to Miranda. Shane already wanted to leave the room.

"I had a vision." That was it. She didn't say anything. Shane rolled his eyes. Eve tried to keep Miranda talking.

"And you had to come immediately?"

"Yes. It is very important."

"Well, you want to tell us what it is, or are you just gonna sit there?" Miranda glared at Shane, obviously upset with him. He smiled sweetly in response.

"Watch your words Shane. I have vital information. Information that could save a life, a life you want very much to be saved, if I remember correctly."

_Claire,_ he thought. _She knows something about Claire. _Suddenly, Shane's smile disappeared completely, and his face became apologetic. Miranda smiled at that. "So now do you want to know, dear Shane? I can just as easily keep it to myself."

Shane said nothing. "I thought so." said Miranda triumphantly. Then she took a deep breath, and told them of the future. "Your housemate—what's her name again?"

"Claire." Shane whispered, his throat getting tight.

Miranda nodded in thanks. "Claire. She's a prisoner of the vampires, is she not?"

The three of them nodded all looking down. "And she's going to be put to death for the murder of the vampire Samuel Glass, right?"

"Yes," Michael croaked out, his voice hoarse and strained.

"She can be saved." Shane's head bobbed up immediately. It was too good to be true. "It was Amelie's decision to execute Claire," Miranda explained, "but there are many vampires who do not agree with this sentence. They believe she is valuable. They are planning to rebel against Amelie's rule in Morganville as soon as Claire is executed. It could very well turn into a large war for which Amelie would not be prepared. Oliver and Myrnin, the leaders of the rebellion, have more followers than you would believe. Myrnin is very persuasive, and he believes that it is absolutely vital for Claire to survive, so he's been giving speeches and delivering messages on her behalf. Why she's so important, I don't know." She stopped and beamed, seeming very proud of herself. The three Glass house residents just stared. Shane was beyond disappointed. He'd let himself believe there was some way. He should have known better.

"So what?" Michael asked.

Miranda looked insulted. "So what? So take that to Amelie. No way is she going to want a war on her doorstep. Not to mention one that might destroy Morganville, which is everything she's always worked for." Miranda was trying to help, Shane saw. But—

"Miranda…do you really think that Amelie would believe us? I mean, it's not like we have any proof or anything." Eve voiced his worry for him.

"Hello? You have _me_. She knows about my powers, right?"

"Yeah…" Eve was trying to be nice. "But you could be lying. She knows that you're our friend. She'd probably think we bribed you or something."

"No." Everyone turned to look at Michael, who had surprised them all. "Vampires—well, the older ones anyway—can tell when someone's lying. Grandpa Sam was able to do it. I'm sure a vampire as old as Amelie will be like a pro lie detector. As long as you're not lying," he said to Miranda, who shook her head vigorously, "and if we can get Myrnin and Oliver to tell Amelie the truth about them not wanting Claire to be executed, then this should work."

"Oh my God," Eve said. "Michael, are you serious?"

He nodded. They both looked at Shane, who hadn't spoken yet. But Shane wasn't there anymore. "Shane?" Eve called. She started to get up, but Miranda had started jerking and thrashing. She was having another vision.

"Stay with her." Michael said. "I'll go find Shane." She nodded and sat down to wait until Miranda returned to the present. Michael didn't have to walk far. He found Shane in the kitchen just as he was hanging up the phone. His back was to him, so it took Shane awhile to realize Michael was behind him. When he did, Michael saw panic flit across his face, and then disappear. "Hey dude." He said casually.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Who was that?"

Shane forced a laugh and shook his hair out of his eyes. "Oh, I was just gonna order pizza." He nodded guiltily.

"And?" Michael asked.

"Oh, it was just way expensive. Taxes, you know. What are you gonna do?"He laughed and then walked out of the room. Michael raised both eyebrows, totally confused, and was about to follow when he caught sight of a pizza coupon on the corner of the counter. In big, bold letters it stated "**ANY EXTRA LARGE PIZZA NOW ONLY $5**" Obviously Shane hadn't seen it. He picked it up and walked into the room with the rest of them.

"Shane, dude, pizzas are only—" he stopped when he noticed the unnatural silence in the room. He looked up from the coupon and saw that Miranda was boring into Shane with a look that would kill any human. Shane stood in front of her, tensed from head to toe, glaring back at her with a stare that was nowhere near as intense. It was like watching a kiwi bird face off against a cheetah.

Eve looked as confused as he felt, but before either of them could ask anything, Miranda asked Shane a question of her own, her voice oozing poison.

"What have you done?"


	15. Fearful Reminder

Chapter 15

"I did what I had to." Shane defended himself, still glaring. "You weren't helping us at all."

"I _had_ the problem solved, which you would know if you had waited two minutes. You've just mucked everything up. Oh sure, your precious Claire may live through her execution, but you've just sentenced everyone in this town to death. That includes her, brainiac. You've only prolonged her life by just a little."

"What do you mean, you had the problem solved? You had no proof. Eve's right. Amelie would _never _listen to us."

"If you had stayed and listened to Michael, you would have learned that older vampires can act as lie detectors. So you should know, vampire boy, that with that ability, there is absolutely no way she wouldn't believe me."

Shane's face paled, and the glare vanished, replaced by a look of fear. "You mean…"

"That is exactly what I mean. Congratulations. You've killed us all."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Eve broke in. "Shane, what did you _do_?"

Michael had a feeling he knew, but he couldn't believe that Shane would do that. He felt like heaving up his entire stomach. "Shane," he started, hoping with every fiber of his being that he was wrong, "who did you call?" They looked at each other for a moment, and Shane looked ready to break down. "Was it a family relation, perhaps?" Eve gasped and stood up from the couch. She walked over to Shane and stood in front of him.

"Shane, you didn't, did you?" he didn't answer. "Shane," Eve was almost hysterical. "you didn't call your dad, did you? Did you?!" Again, there was no answer. Eve staggered backwards until she ran into Michael, who wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her head into his chest, and Michael just looked at Shane. He wasn't glaring or crying, just looking.

Shane couldn't take it. "I didn't know what else to do, Michael. I can't watch Claire die."

"But you could watch me die? Shane, we've been best friends for… for forever. I mean, you could have at least talked to me about this."

"You wouldn't have let me—"

"With good reason." Miranda twittered from the couch.

"Shut up, Miranda!" Shane yelled.

"Oh, don't worry. In another month or so, you won't have to worry about hearing my voice—or anyone else's—ever again. You've made sure that—"

"I said shut up!" Shane started crying, not something that usually happened, but seemed to be happening a lot lately. "I'm sorry, Michael, but—"

"I think you owe us all an apology, Shane. After all, you—" Before Miranda could finish her sentence, Shane ran upstairs and they heard his bedroom door slam. In the silence that followed, they heard him throw something—probably a lamp—against his wall. Michael glared at Miranda and she shrank back. Then he gently pushed Eve away. She didn't want to let go, but she didn't have much choice.

"I have to go talk to Shane," he said.

"Well, then let me go with you. We can—" Michael put his hand over her mouth. He was surprised to see that Eve wasn't crying, and he was also surprised by the expression in her eyes. There were two very clear emotions. Love and hate. How she could feel so two completely different emotions and refrain from crying as she usually did, was a complete mystery to him.

"I have to do this alone," he whispered. "Stay with Miranda. I'll be back down in a while."

Michael took the stairs in two bounds. He didn't know what he could say. He was beyond angry at Shane, but he knew that this was not the time for yelling at him. So he had to think of something to say. The truth was, he was scared. Frank Collins had scared him even before he was vampire. He was always drunk and violent, and of course, out to kill every bloodsucking demon in Morganville. Now that Michael was a vampire, he was one of Frank's targets. It was worse that he was one of Shane's best friends and that Frank had known him personally. Mr. Collins saw him as some kind of traitor. And he was scared to know that, because he didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave Eve and Claire and Shane. He didn't want to leave…life. Or, well, the undead kind of life; the vampire kind of life. But as scared as he was, he knew that Shane was going through some pretty heavy stuff too. Claire was imprisoned, and his dad was coming to town. And his dad scared him too.

He knocked on Shane's door and let himself in when there was no answer. Suddenly, he was reminded of something _very _scary, and all he could do was stare at Shane as he dropped the empty plastic bottle from his hand, and saw a single drop of blood drip from his lips.


	16. Danger!

Chapter 16

Two thoughts chased each other around and around in Michael's head:

I can't believe I forgot Shane was a vampire!

Shane called his dad knowing that he would be putting himself in danger just so that he could save Claire.

He was feeling three simultaneous feelings, however:

Fear

Guilt

Confusion

Since he couldn't put his fear into words, he decided to deal with guilt first, while relieving his mind of both of his current thoughts.

"Shane, I'm sorry, I totally—"

"Forgot?" Shane finished for him. "Yeah, I got that." He snarled.

"How did you…" He didn't have to finish. He knew Shane knew what he was talking about.

"It was the only way I could think of to save Claire." Shane turned his face from Michael. "I'm sorry about what that means for you."

"For me? I think you mean what that means for us. You know, as much as your Dad hates me, somehow, I think he'll be even angrier at you."

"I know." Shane voice was quiet, but strong. "I'm going to have to tell him. But not until after he sets Claire free. He can threaten the vamps, and fight them, as soon as he kills enough of them, they'll set her free."

Michael was shocked into silence for a few seconds. Then he asked, "Are you saying that you would stand by while your dad slaughtered vampires just so that Claire would be free? How could you do that to them? They're just like us."

Shane looked back up at Michael. "No. They're not. They are violent and bloodthirsty. We don't kill people, Michael. We're the good vampires."

"Shane, there is no distinction between us and them. Claire killed one of us, so they're killing her. Humans do the same thing. And as for us not being bloodthirsty and violent, who's the one who just called a hitman to take out as much of the vamps in Morganville as he can?" Shane was quiet. "Shane, you've got to call him and tell him to back off."

Shane laughed. "You know he won't. He's coming, and there's nothing we can do about it. He has a mission now, and he's going to go through with it." Michael knew he was right, because Frank Collins took any chance he could to kill vamps. That's what pent-up resentment will do to you.

"Then we've got to get Miranda to Amelie as soon as possible."

Michael could only hope that they were fast enough.


	17. Claire

Chapter 17

Claire was being kept in a dark room of the Elders' Council Building until the next night, which would be her last, when she would be put out into the Square again. She was allowed to roam about the room, not that there was much to do, she couldn't see anything, but at least she wasn't still in her cage. Since she couldn't see much, Claire walked around in a circle about two feet in diameter while she thought. She thought about her visitors from earlier. First there was Amelie, who read her the riot act, and made Claire wish that she was already dead. Claire felt horrible for killing Sam, but at the time, she had just felt so bad for Shane. And as much as she hated them, she knew she deserved all the guilt trips and reprimands that she got. After Amelie came Myrnin, who was even harder on her, which killed her. Even though he was crazy, Claire trusted him, and almost thought of him as a friend: a good, but entirely mental friend. Lastly came her best friends. Michael had somehow thought that she was mad at him. How could he think that when she was the one who killed one of his family members? He _should_ be against her; she was amazed that he had forgiven her. Eve, of course, was with her, but that was probably partly because she was hurt that Michael had turned against them.

Shane was a different matter entirely. Her heart broke when she saw him, because she knew she would never see him again except for from behind bars until the day she died. Somehow though, she was the strong one. She had managed to hold herself together while he had cried. She wanted nothing more than to hold him and be held by him, and to kiss him endlessly. And then he told her he loved her. It was nothing like she'd imagined, and it made her angry. Firstly, it didn't do her much good to know that he loved her the day before she died. Now she'd just be thinking of what might have been for the next day. Secondly, the way he'd said it had seemed like…like he was forced to. He sounded so angry. Under the circumstances, that was okay, but she wished that he had tried to keep his emotions in check when he told her, because now she felt that he hadn't meant it, and that he'd just told her so that she wouldn't think that it was fake between them. Third, he'd left so quickly. She'd only gotten to talk to him, well; she hadn't talked to him, except to almost say sorry. And he had said less than ten sentences to her, and left her there, giving Eve and Michael no choice but to follow.

She silently started to cry. She was scared of death, and didn't want to leave. She'd never eat another bowl of chili, she'd never go to school again, never get married or have kids, never grow old. There was so much that she hadn't done yet that she'd never thought of before. And then there was her parents. What would they do? I mean, she'd been there less than two years, and now she was being executed. They would never hear from her again. Michael would no doubt call them, but still, she'd never get to say goodbye. She stopped walking in circles and curled up, arms on her knees, head on her arms, and cried.


End file.
